AIDS Relief in Africa: Strings Attached

Ken AshfordBush & Co., Foreign Affairs, Health Care, Sex/Morality/Family ValuesLeave a Comment

AIDS in Africa could reach pandemic perportions:

The HIV/AIDS scourge on the African continent could worsen in 2006 if developed nations do not deliver on their financial pledges, the U.N.’s top AIDS official in Africa said on Monday.

Stephen Lewis, U.N. special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, said treatment, prevention and care programs on the continent will start losing out next year if rich nations do not release the money they have promised.

Quoting figures from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Lewis said it has only received $3.6 billion, half of what it needs to fund programs in 2006 and 2007.

"There’s a steadily diminishing lack of commitment on the part of the world to release money for the Global Fund," said Lewis.

Africa is the worst-hit continent with an estimated 26 million people infected with HIV/AIDS.

Four million of the infected have been identified as needing urgent treatment, but so far only 10 percent of them have access to treatment, Lewis said.

Some of you may recall that in his 2003 State of the Union speech, Bush promised an initiative to send aid to help fight this problem.  In fact, the White House website highlights the problem and solution:

  • Today, on the continent of Africa, nearly 30 million people have the AIDS virus – including three million children under the age of 15. There are whole countries in Africa where more than one-third of the adult population carries the infection. More than four million require immediate drug treatment. Yet across that continent, only 50,000 AIDS victims are receiving the medicine they need.

  • The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief will help the most afflicted countries in Africa and the Caribbean wage and win the war against HIV/AIDS, extending and saving lives. The following countries will be the focus of the initiative: Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

    • But sadly, the Bush Administration is making it harder for relief to get to parts of Africa.  And why?  Because the Bush Administration doesn’t approve of other peoples’ behavior:

    The Bush administration has extended its global gag rule to international AIDS prevention funding, according to the Maryland-based Center for Health and Gender Equity. The gag rule will affect a $193 million, five-year project for AIDS-HIV prevention programs in Kenya and requires organizations that seek funding to adhere to the administration’s policy that the health organization not provide abortions, provide any information about safe abortions to women or lobby for change in their nation’s abortion laws. In Kenya, complications from illegal abortions are a leading killer of married women in their 20s and 30s.

    Family planning, maternal and child health programs are the "first responders" for women and girls who have HIV-AIDS, who make up 60 percent of infected cases in sub-Saharan Africa, said the center’s executive director, Jodi Jacobson. "The administration has broken its own written commitment not to subject global AIDS funds to these onerous restrictions."

    Evil.

    RELATED:  The story of Jonah (from Sisyphus Shrugged)

    Bush Was Against Troop Pullout Before He Was For It?

    Ken AshfordIraqLeave a Comment

    It was only a week or two ago when Bush/Cheney were labelling war critics, who were advocating troop withdrawal from Iraq, as a bunch of "cut and run" cheese-eating surrender monkeys (or words to that effect).

    But now, the Los Angeles Times writes that Bush will give "a major speech" on Wednesday "in which aides say he is expected to herald the improved readiness of Iraqi troops, which he has identified as the key condition for pulling out U.S. forces":

    The administration’s pivot on the issue comes as the White House is seeking to relieve enormous pressure by war opponents. The camp includes liberals, moderates and old-line conservatives who are uneasy with the costly and uncertain nation-building effort… The developments seemed to lay the groundwork for potentially large withdrawals in 2006 and 2007, consistent with scenarios outlined by Pentagon planners.

    I’m glad the Bush Administration is getting behind the eight ball on this.  Of course, like with Katrina, they do always seem to be behind the curve when it comes to doing the right thing.  You ever notice that?

    U.S. Border Patrol Uniforms Are Made In Mexico

    Ken AshfordForeign AffairsLeave a Comment

    AP:

    WASHINGTON — The labels inside the U.S. Border Patrol uniforms have been making many federal agents feel uneasy. It’s not the fit or feel of the olive-green shirts and pants, but what their labels read: "Made in Mexico."

    "It’s embarrassing to be protecting the U.S.-Mexico border and be wearing a uniform made in Mexico," says T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a 6,500-member union.

    "Embarrassing"?  Try the word "ironic".

    He Didn’t Have Enough Slanty Pieces

    Ken AshfordRandom MusingsLeave a Comment

    Hey, I liked Lego too, but then I grew up:

    Portland, Oregon – A 40-year-old man is behind bars, accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars of Lego sets.

    William Swanberg was indicted on Wednesday by a Washington County grand jury on two counts of felony theft and one count of attempted felony theft.

    Rent: My Mini-Review

    Ken AshfordPopular CultureLeave a Comment

    Rentmovie_posterI don’t go to the movies much anymore.  It’s such a hassle.  And movies that I’m interested in seeing?  They’re only around for a week or two (or so it seems).  But the film adaptation of the stage musical "Rent" was one I wasn’t going to let slide.  I’m a fan of the show — I saw it in 1997(?) with much of the original cast, and again in 2002.

    For those unfamiliar with the show at all, here’s a plot synopsis that I stole because I’m too lazy to write one myself:

    This story about disenfranchised youth living on the edge of society is the best urban-based musical of its kind since "West Side Story." The two share a number of similarities. "West Side Story," of course, found its inspiration from Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet," and "Rent" traces its roots to Puccini’s classic opera "La Bohème." Both are populated with characters living on the edge of society, with songs driving the narrative.

    After nearly 10 years, the musical’s subject matter and location — AIDS and the bleak Lower East Village of Manhattan — have changed dramatically. Thousands of people are now living with the deadly disease due to new miracle drugs, and the Lower East Side has become gentrified. But the movie’s theme remains relevant: young people trying to figure out their place in a world they don’t necessarily respect, or want to be a part of.

    The large ensemble cast of angry bohemians includes aspiring songwriter Roger (Adam Pascal); Roger’s roommate and wannabe filmmaker Mark (Anthony Rapp); computer genius Tom (portrayed by Jessie L. Martin, best known for his role as detective Ed Green on the TV show "Law & Order"); Tom’s cross-dressing lover Angel (Wilson Jermaine Heredia, who won a Tony for this role); and Benny (Taye Diggs), who betrayed his friends when he married their landlord’s daughter and is now threatening the group with eviction from their seedy loft apartments.

    The two new cast members who weren’t from the original group are lawyer Joanne (Tracie Thoms) and Roger’s downstairs neighbor Mimi (Rosario Dawson.)

    The plot focuses on the lives (and deaths) of this group of young bohemians, who find passion and love with each other, despite the cruelties of disease and disenfranchisement.  It is, above all, a celebration of life at the outer margins.

    For fans of the stage musical, this movie won’t disappoint.  The major songs are all there, as are most of the original cast.  Some of the incidental dialogue, rather than being sung (the stage show really is an opera), are acted as straight conversations, but the movie is almost wall-to-wall music.  The movie soundtrack contained an insipid ballad that was not in the stage show ("Love Heals") — thankfully, it ended up on the cutting room floor.

    The "hit song" from the stage show ("Seasons of Love") appears only in the opening number, where the cast stands on an empty stage, belting out the ballad.  The number is apparently an homage to the show’s creator, Jonathan Larson, who died on the opening night of the hit Broadway run.  And it works.  Instead, the running theme of the movie (as well as the movie’s advertisements) is the phrase from another song "No Day But Today", which is more fitting of the movie’s overall message.

    The cast is, for the most part, spectacular.  And they should be: they have lived with these characters for a decade.  Though an ensemble work, Jesse Martin as Tom Collins was probably the standout; his screen presence is captivating, and his giddy smile is engaging.  Tom has found love in the cross-dressing Angel, and as a result, his feet never seem to touch the ground.

    Director Chris Columbus doesn’t attempt to commercialize the show by making it mass-appealing, and it is very faithful to the spirit of original production.  Only twice does the movie enter the foray of traditional "movie musical" genre: a "dream sequence" during the "Tango Maureen" number, and the celebratory "La Vie Boheme".  These are among the few scenes that are not shot in darkness and shadows, and because of that, they breathe life into the film.

    But with that said, the "Rent" cinema experience fell a little flat for me.  Having had a few days to mull it over, I’ve decided that the fault doesn’t lie with the director’s choices, or any of the performances.  The problem is the material itself.  It simply does not translate to the Big Screen as well as I had hoped.   The camera allows the audience to get physically close to these people, and it sometimes doesn’t work, as they belt songs right in the faces of each other.  What’s missing, and perhaps cannot be avoided, is the enchantment of distance that comes from sitting in a theatrical audience.  In the movie house, we become almost too intimate with the characters’ world, so much so that we end up becoming grateful for our own.  At times, especially toward the melodramatic end scenes, we are a hair’s breadth from rolling our eyes and groaning. 

    Sitting in the movie audience, I couldn’t imagine wanting to be a part of their world.  Even with "Chicago", which had dark themes of murder and debauchery, it looked like everybody was having fun.  Those moments in "Rent" were too rare, which made the "celebration of life" message ring a little hollow.

    But that, as I said, is the way "Rent" is supposed to be.  Jazzing it up as a "feel good" musical and removing its edge would have ruined it.  So, as it is, "Rent" is the best adaption of the stage musical that one could hope for.

    K-mas

    Ken AshfordGodstuff, Right Wing Punditry/IdiocyLeave a Comment

    Our dear Kaye Grogan is upset again in "Bah, Humbug . . . Retailers!":

    The anti-Christmas groups are gearing up again to oppose the display of nativity scenes in public and the singing of Christmas Carols.

    Oh, I guess that’s me she’s refering to.  Um . . . vrrroom, vrooom.

    And not to be outdone — there are several retailers who have joined the fight against Christmas, and in the process have become somewhat anomic.

    Yes.  Those huge corporate retailers . . . always fighting liberal causes.

    Evidently, some retailers in the country must be suffering from Amnesia or taking some really bad advice. I suspect the latter is right on the money.

    If not Amnesia, then Blunt Head Trauma.

    When will corporate America realize that they are way off base, when they concentrate solely on trying to appease 20 percent of the population — expecting 85 percent to just sit idly by, while they play their little "inclusive" games?

    Any math experts out there?  Doesn’t 20 plus 85 equal more than 100 percent?

    Many foreigners find it offensive to hear somebody say: "MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

    Ah.  Xenophobia.  Kaye’s handmaiden.

    Well, there is an easy solution to that — they can go back to their own country and celebrate whatever they celebrate over there. I am sure they won’t be missed.

    "God bless us, everyone native-born Americans," said Tiny Tim.

    I would like to see how far Americans would get, if they migrated to other countries and tried to interfere with their traditions.

    Over 2,000 dead U.S. soldiers — last time I checked.  Does that answer your question?

    This is AMERICA! — not Mexico, China, Japan or the middle east, etc.

    End of geography lesson.

    If you want to be inclusive then get on the American band wagon and accept our traditions.

    That’s right.  The only way to be inclusive is to embrace American values, and not the values of other cutures.

    Americans are getting fed up with being treated like sojourners in their own country, and I see an uprising brewing.

    And before you know it, we Americans are going to rise up against our immigrant overlords!  The next time I’m in a fancy restaurant, I’m going to get up from my table, march into the kitchen, go up to $2.50-an-hour Pedro behind the industrial dishwasher and shout, "Stop oppressing me, you greasy wetback!!"  That’ll show ’em!

    The misguided people who came up with the notion that we must be politically correct, really messed the system up. Besides, it’s hard to be politically correct considering how many unqualified politicians are being sent to Washington.

    Yes, sir!  Kaye would like to be tolerant of other views, but the politicians in Washington just won’t let her!!!

    There are many Americans, (especially Christians) poised to boycott the anti-Christmas retail stores during the Christmas season. I can’t say I’ll feel sorry for their declining profits, because they put the noose around their own neck.

    Big retailers like Wal-Mart and Target, should know by now — it’s suicide to alienate the Christians. And when they summate their after Thanksgiving sales — they will be BAH-HUMBUGS for sure!

    Mmmmm.  Here’s something from the Associated Press, Kaye:

    The official holiday shopping season appears to have gotten off to a lukewarm start, according to results announced Saturday by a national research group that monitors retail sales. Wal-Mart was one bright spot in the crowd, reporting its sales exceeded expectations.

    Wow, Kaye.  You’ve been proved wrong already!   Anything more to say?

    Like it or not: Jesus is the Reason for the Season! Without His birth, there would have never been a first Christmas. Every single tradition related to Christmas represents something to do with Christ. Before St. Nicholas became Santa Claus — he was a jolly fellow who went about doing good, giving to the poor and he was considered to be a real saint. The lights on Christmas trees represent Jesus "the light of the world." Wreaths represent Christ’s never ending love. A garland wrapped around a tree represents Mary wrapping her arms around Baby Jesus. Every decoration is symbolic of Christ’s birth.

    Except the tree itself, which came from pagen rituals.  And, oh yeah, the date of Christmas, too.

    Now you should be able to see why the ACLU, atheists, and agnostics want to eventually abolish the religious symbolism of Christmas and replace it with their anti-religious holidays.

    Right.  Because I have a great idea for a new Peanuts TV special: "You’ve Killed A Clergyman, Charlie Brown!!"

    In other words: these groups want the majority to be silent, as they dictate to them what they can and can’t do.

    And our first point of attack is on the holiest of holy places: Wal-mart!!!

    The writing on the wall was easy to read several years ago, as a big X replaced Christ in Christmas on many advertising boards. Usually, most things happen gradually, oftentimes covering up real motives until they make it from the back door to the front. But it was obvious the big X was an attempt to start the ball rolling to eliminate Christ and make Christmas more secular.

    Damn!  She’s figured out our plan!  Alright!!  Who squealed?!?

    This year I will spend my money purchasing Christmas gifts in retail stores that observe Christmas by the old traditional standards. And to the others all I can say is: Bah — Humbugs!

    And away Kaye skulked into the mall, muttering to herself as she went about her Christmas shopping….

    No, I’m Not Making This Up

    Ken AshfordRandom MusingsLeave a Comment

    Just in time for Thanksgiving, the inventor of Stove Top stuffing has died.  Her obit is in today’s New York Times.  If you are at a loss for something to be thankful for tomorrow, why not give a shout out to her?

    And Baby Makes Three

    Ken AshfordWomen's IssuesLeave a Comment

    Like most states, the State of Virginia has "High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes", better known as "carpool lanes".  These are lanes which are open only to cars which have a certain minimum number of passengers.  To drive on an HOV-3 lane, the car must have at least three occupants.

    Pregdriver_1Recently, a woman in Virginia was ticketed for improperly driving on an HOV-3 lane (sorry, I lost the link).  Her defense?  There were three in her car:  (1) herself, (2) her child in the backseat, and (3) her unborn baby.

    This raised the question as to whether an unborn baby is a "person".  The ears of anti-choice advocates pricked up (which is why the story became national).

    Well, the Virginia Department of Transporation weighs in.  From their HOV FAQ website:

    I’m pregnant. Do I count as one person or two?

    In HOV world, you’re one person.  However, babies of any age count as a person.

    Not to worry, anti-choice advocates.  That’s in "HOV world".  As for the real world, VDOT ain’t touchin’ that.

    Same Ol’, Same Ol’

    Ken AshfordRandom Musings1 Comment

    Is there really much difference between this CNN "Thanksgiving holiday rush" story from today, and this CNN "Thanksgiving holiday rush" story from 2004, and this CNN "Thanksgiving holiday rush" story from 2003?

    More On The War Against “Happy Holidays”

    Ken AshfordGodstuffLeave a Comment

    Finch3 World O’ Crap channels Howard Beale:

    I don’t have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It’s a War on Christmas.  Sales clerks either won’t wish you a "Merry Christmas," or aren’t sincere when they do.  (And heaven knows, they are never properly grateful to you for honoring them with your presence during this, your sacred holiday season.) 

    Last year some elementary school somewhere wouldn’t let a golden-haired child sing "Silent Night" during math class.  Another town ordered that all copies of the movie "A Christmas Story" had to be digitally altered in order to replace the scary store Santa Claus with a scary FDR-impersonator.  The ACLU is trying to ban creches on airport runways!  The secularists are doing drive-by shootings of Salvation Army Santas!  It’s like everything everywhere is going to hell in a Seasons Greetings hand basket!  I want you to get mad. I don’t want you to protest. All I know is, first you’ve got to get mad. You’ve got to say, "I’m a Christian, gosh darn it, and I must take precedence over anybody else."

    So, I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window, open it, and stick your head out, and yell, "I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this Happy Holidays crap anymore!" Or maybe instead of going to your window, go to your oven.  Yeah, go to your oven, open your oven, and stick your head in it, turn on the gas, and yell, "I’m as mad as hell at Target for not doing everything I tell it to  — especially when I think of all the money I spent there on colorful dishware and cheap, Chinese-made apparel — and I’m not going to take this anymore!"  And then breathe deeply the fumes of righteous indignation.  Do it.  Do it now!

    Boot’s On The Ground

    Ken AshfordIraqLeave a Comment

    Max Boot, writing in the LA Times, says:

    WHEN IT COMES to the future of Iraq, there is a deep disconnect between those who have firsthand knowledge of the situation — Iraqis and U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq — and those whose impressions are shaped by doomsday press coverage and the imperatives of domestic politics.

    In support of this, Boot offers the following statistic:

    American soldiers are also much more optimistic than American civilians. The Pew Research Center and the Council on Foreign Relations just released a survey of American elites that found that 64% of military officers are confident that we will succeed in establishing a stable democracy in Iraq. The comparable figures for journalists and academics are 33% and 27%, respectively.

    I checked out the Pew Research Poll, and while Boot accurately reports the numbers, he misprepresents what they mean.  The military officers in the poll are NOT (as Boot’s first 26331paragraph suggests) people "with firsthand knowledge of the situation in Iraq".  As the poll’s methodology explains:

    The military leaders sample was drawn from a Lexis-Nexis search of retired generals and admirals quoted in American news sources in the past year. Also included was a sample of outstanding officers selected to participate in the Council on Foreign Relations’ Military Fellowship program since 2000.

    Interestingly, most of the Pew Research Poll really does not reflect well on Bush’s policies (see graphic at right — call me crazy, but it looks like the military thinks that Bush’s idea of spreading democracy in the Mideast is a bad idea — more so than most other of the polled demographic groups).

    Neo-cons will have to look hard (and spin a little) to find some encouraging news from the Pew Research Poll.  And that’s what Boot did.

    Anti-Homosexuality Balls: It’s What’s For (Thanksgiving) Dinner!

    Ken AshfordGodstuff, Sex/Morality/Family Values1 Comment

    As I’ve blogged before, social conservatives and religious zealots are gearing up to make Christmas the latest battleground for their whiny I’m-being-oppressed-because-not-everybody-feels-like-"witnessing"-a-thon. 

    But that doesn’t mean they’ve left Thanksgiving off their plate.  Here’s James Dobson’s latest crusade:

    Focus on the Family has announced plans to distribute 5,000 balls during Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to promote a website it operates that claims homosexuality is a disorder that can be changed through faith.

    The balls – called "stress balls" are part of a major effort by FOF reach a wider audience during the holidays. Each ball carries the name of its advice site http://www.troubledwith.com. The Web site also carries faith-based advice on topics ranging from eating disorders to depression.

    The balls will be tossed out by volunteers along the route and is not part of the official parade. Because they will be on public property there is little Macy’s can do. 

    Shakespeare’s Sister snarkily comments:

    I have to admit, I like the concept of throwing balls in people’s faces to try to cure them of homosexuality.

    Yup.  And I can’t think of a better forum for Dobson’s stunt than the hopelessly family-oriented Macy’s Annual Thanksgiving Parade.  I’m sure Mom and Dad will appreciate having to explain homosexuality to their children as the East Denver High School Marching Band performs the Star Wars theme.

    P_paradespongebob

    Nature Not Done Fucking With Us

    Ken AshfordDisastersLeave a Comment

    While we were all worried about terrorists, Mother Nature reminded us that she is the real bitch goddess, and sent Katrina our way.

    Apparently, she’s still pissed.  For one thing, Mount St. Helen’s is acting up again.

    But the big whammy in her arsenal may not hit us for another 24 years.  April 13, 2029 to be exact:

    Steve Chesley created a firestorm of panic last December when announced to the world his discovery of Asteroid MN4.

    A recently rediscovered 400-meter Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) is predicted to pass near the Earth on 13 April 2029. The flyby distance is uncertain and an Earth impact cannot yet be ruled out. The odds of impact, presently around 1 in 300, are unusual enough to merit special monitoring by astronomers, but should not be of public concern. These odds are likely to change on a day-to-day basis as new data are received.

    With each passing day the likelihood of such an event befalling us again becomes greater and greater. We must stop it, but we only have 25 years left.

    On April 13th, 2029, the asteroid may crush into Earth causing an explosion 100 times bigger than the blast of the A-bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. A large part of Moscow is likely to disappear.

    It’s name is Apophis, the Greek name for the evil demon of Egyptian legend, Apep.

    Title This Book!

    Ken AshfordBloggingLeave a Comment

    UNC Law Professor Eric Muller of the blog Is That Legal? has a dilemna, and a solution:

    I said I suck at coming up with book titles, right?

    This creates an opportunity for you, dear reader.

    It’s the IsThatLegal Name-My-Book Contest!

    Go to his post, download the draft introduction (so you can tell what the book is about), and suggest a title.  Many suggestions are already up, and some of them are pretty good.